Deftones & Rise Against Tour

All Pictures By Jonathan Hawkins

Alt-metal veterans Deftones brought their heavy riffs to the Mid
Florida Credit Union Amphitheater in Tampa, FL, last Thursday night.
They’re currently out on a co-headlining summer tour with Rise
Against. The 21-date tour also includes special guests Thrice; with the tour wrapping up in Phoenix on July 9th. This is an interesting lineup considering each band’s sound is a little different. It works, not
just because of their differing musical backgrounds, but for the
respect, they have for each other as musicians.

Thrice are currently supporting their ninth studio album, To BeEverywhere Is to Be Nowhere, which was released last May. Confession:
I’m a bit of a late bloomer to the Thrice party, but since purchasing
this album last year, I’ve been wondering what took me so long. So, it
was a bonus when I found out they would also be on this tour. It
strengthened what I felt was already a great lineup.

Thrice performed songs from their catalog like “Hurricane,” “Silhouette,” ” Black Honey,” and “The Earth Will Shake.” There was pre-show buzz that Thrice was a great live act and they lived up to their reputation. They are a band that when you see them live, you are inclined to check out their previous material. At least i was.

With Thrice in the top ten of Octane’s Big Un’s, it won’t be long until they are part of a headlining club tour. If that happens, I’m there and with that, mission accomplished, Thrice.

Rise Against have been on a bit of a break since their last
album/tour, but are back in full force with their latest release,Wolves. These guys are a ball of energy on stage and know how to get
the mosh pit brewin’. Frontman/guitarist Tim McIlrath commands the
crowd’s attention, working all sides of the stage, while lead
guitarist Zach Blair blasts into the air any chance he can.

At one point during their set, McIlrath took a moment to notice a
The 14-year-old fan in the front row. He told him he knows what it takes
to be on the rail and he appreciates him being there. McIlrath also
requested the boy not forget that he was nice to him and was convinced
the boy would become famous one day.

Rise Against treated fans to a 12-song set that featured songs like,
“Ready To Fall,” “The Good Left Undone,” “The Violence,” and “Wolves.”

From the opener, “Head,” to the encore, “Engine No. 9,” Deftones
brought a night fans won’t soon forget. Vocalist Chino Moreno along
with guitarist Stephen Carpenter, drummer Abe Cunningham, bassist
Sergio Vega, and DJ/keyboardist Frank Delgado are musical architects,
They take fans on a sonic journey of emotion; hypnotic one minute to
aggressive the next; but, in a purposeful and methodical manner. The Deftones did this in spades on Thursday at the Mid-Florida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa.

Chino kept the crowd engaged by working all angles of the stage (and
even the first few rows), unafraid to get right up in fans faces
before belting out one of his signature screams. On this night,
Deftones sounded as good as I’ve ever experienced them at previous shows.

The lighting and production really added to the band’s moody textures throughout their 16-song set which also featured the singles “Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)” and “Change (In the House of Flies).”

The term ‘success’ may have different meanings to different people
when it comes to music in the Deftones alt-metal category. Some may say album sales define a successful band, but perhaps two key elements
overlooked are ‘consistency’ and ‘longevity’. If (you) keep doing your
thing, no matter what aspect of the arts you may be involved in,
eventually it will pay off. The Deftones are proof of that. They were
often overlooked and underrated by most critics in the past; but now,
playing to a whole new generation of metal fans and it seems they are
finally getting the respect and appreciation they deserve.

Overall this tour is one not to miss for sure for fans of these genres of hard rock and metal! With this tour wrapping up in August, don’t be surprised if all three of these bands are back in Florida ready to bring it all again to their awaiting fans.